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Friday, February 28, 2014

1. What is your mission at BBBSG?
Our mission statement is as follows: We provide
children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported
one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better.

We strive to achieve this by increasing awareness of the positive impacts
of mentoring, building partnerships that yield volunteer and donor support, and
enhancing the mentoring experience by providing support and supplemental services.

2. What specific services does BBBSG
provide? We
recruit, screen, train, coach and support volunteer mentors who work one-to-one
with youth. We also work with school and
community partners who provide youth referrals to our programs. Our organization takes a case-management
approach, and therefore every mentoring match is assigned a case worker who
tracks the progress of each mentoring relationship.

3. Who is your target audience? We
work with youth who seek the guidance and friendship of an older role model or
mentor. Youth, or “Littles,” ages 8-16 can apply. There is no cost to participate.

4. What are your hours of operation
and what is the best way for people to reach you that are interested in
assistance?

Our
office is open from 8AM-5PM, Monday through Friday, and by appointment on
Saturday.

You
can fill out an online youth or volunteer enrollment form at www.guambbbs.org
or find us on Facebook –BBBSG.

5.
In addition to direct services, what resources does BBBSG offer?

Case
workers provide referral services for youth and parents involved in the
program. The organization also hosts
regular enrichment activities, and volunteer and youth trainings. A current grant allows us to host an
“Internet Tent” that provides underserved youth with Internet and computer
access several times a month.

6.
Thinking about current events,how do you foresee recent events in your
field of work affecting your organization and its work?

By
providing positive role models to youth, and by presenting youth with
opportunities to experience new things and improve their developmental assets,
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guam aims to give youth the skills they need to achieve
success in their lives. We encourage
our mentors to guide their Littles in shaping better, healthier attitudes
towards school, their peers and their families. In essence, we are equipping
kids to break the cycle of academic failure, poverty and broken families.

7. Can
you discuss your communitypartnerships and how they contribute
to the overall success of BBBSG individually.

Big
Brothers Big Sisters of Guam is a volunteer-driven, donor-driven
organization. Therefore, the
partnerships we’ve forged with community partners, local businesses and our
friends in government agencies have been critical to our program.

8.
Can you touch on the history of BBBSG and how the organization is set up?

Big
Brothers Big Sisters of Guam began in the mid-1990s and was run by a small
group of determined volunteers. By 2001,
we incorporated and became a full-fledged non-profit organization! The Guam office is a full affiliate of Big
Brothers Big Sisters of America, and must comply with national program
standards. We are currently an office
with 2 full-time staff, and our abilities to serve children are multiplied
through the power and generosity of volunteer mentors!

9.
Any upcoming plans or projects that our island community should be aware of?

February
is Mentoring Awareness Month, and we kicked things off with a 2K/5K run hosted
by our corporate sponsor, Nerium. We also hosted a pool
party for our mentoring matches. On Feb.
10, with the help of Gov. Calvo, we honored two outstanding individuals for
their dedication and service to youth mentoring. Rafael Hughes Batalla was recognized as the
2014 Big Brother of the Year, and Price Elementary School counselor Dr. Agnes
Indalecio was named the 2014 Honorary Big Sister of the Year. Later in the month, VARO will conduct a child
safety and sexual abuse prevention training for our youth constituents.

10.
Why do you think the work you do is important to our island community and the
world at large?

The
economy has affected the way social services are delivered, both for government
agencies and for nonprofit organizations.
As we all grapple with scarce resources, we have come to realize that
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guam plays a critical role in filling some of the
gaps in youth services. So, if we can
provide early-intervention services for at-risk youth and change the way our
youth grow up, we benefit the community at large.

GLSC-DLC also developed interactive interviews
which are available on our website for issues such as guardianship and simple
divorces wherein an individual can go through the interactive interview and
answer questions which then create the legal documents necessary to file in
court without an attorney.

6. Thinking about
current events, how do you foresee recent events in your field of work affecting
your organization and its work?

Current events indicate that we will continue
to receive a large number of requests for assistance in domestic relations
matter and especially where protective orders are needed. Unfortunately
this is just the area where our funding was reduced in the last year. We thus
are continuing to search for other funding to meet these needs.

7. Can you
discuss your community partnerships and how they contribute to the overall success of
Guam Legal Services individually.

We have a large number of community partnerships because of the
numerous programs that we operate. In the area of domestic relations and
domestic violence, we work with VARO, the Guam Coalition Against Sexual Assault
and Family Violence, Office of the Attorney General- Victim Witness Ayuda
Services, the University of Guam Violence Against Women Prevention Program, and
with I Famagu-on'ta, Sanctuary Incorporated, the Family Court, Child Support
Enforcement, Guam Behavioral Health
and Wellness Center and many others. The partnerships are essential in
providing us with referrals for individuals needing our help and as places to
which we can refer individuals who need assistance from other organizations.
Our primary task is legal aid, so we are referring individuals for shelter,
income support, foster placement, treatment of injuries and trauma, parenting,
anger management and other needs.

8. Can you touch on
the history of Guam Legal Services Corporation - Disability Law Center and how the organization is set up?

GLSC-DLC is a non-profit organization established in 1978 and
opened its doors in 1981 to serve the low income community. In 1999 GLSC-DLC
was then designated as the Protection and Advocacy System for Guam. The
organization is funded primarily by federal grants and is made up of 9
different programs: Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Grant Program, Protection
and Advocacy Programs for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI), Individuals
with Developmental Disabilities (PADD), Individual Rights (PAIR), Assistive
Technology (PAAT), Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS), Traumatic Brain
Injury (PATBI), Voter Access (PAVA) and the Technology Initiative Grant (TIG)
program.

9. Any upcoming plans
or projects that our island community should be aware of?

GLSC-DLC is currently working on a project
through the Technology Initiative Grant program wherein interactive interviews
are being developed for the Protective Order, Restraining Order and Change of
Name process for individuals who are not able to receive services through
GLSC-DLC. When the interviews are developed, individuals will be able to create
the necessary documents to file in court just by answering questions on the
computer.

10. Why do you think
the work you do is important to our island community and the world at large
(very obvious question, but I feel this is extremely important to ask)?

We seek to assist individuals whose marriages
and other relationships have fallen apart and who do not know where to
turn. We help to protect their rights and to get them services and relief
that they need. Most of these individuals would have nowhere else to go
for legal assistance if we were not available.

11. Lastly, could you
please provide any current relevant statistics that you have.

In 2013, GLSC-DLC assisted
120 individuals who requested assistance with a Protective Order.

Friday, February 14, 2014

The Oasis offers a
comprehensive array of supportive services for Islanders to become over-comers
of life challenging barriers. Rather than promote short-term entitlements, we
promote life-long transformation.

2. What specific
services does Oasis provide?

The Oasis provides for
four main tiers, and within those we have a variety of supportive services.

1) Recovery – we offer
a multitude of substance abuse classes that range from AA meetings to Early
Recovery Skills. We also provide a group home for our residential recovery
group home and apartments for our Empowered Together program, which serves
homeless mother in recovery that have children in their care.

2) Victims of Sexual
Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Stalking, and/or Human Trafficking
– we serve victims through supportive services (including art therapy, other
therapeutic classes, parenting, etc.) and housing in our transitional housing
program The Animu Project. We also have a Rape Prevention Program through
funding from Department of Public Health and funding to support our DV/SA
programs as a sub-grantee under the S*T*O*P* award from the Federal Programs
Office.

3) Workforce Development – We have The Dream
Project, funded under ANA Social and Economic Development Strategies that
provides a nine-month program for women in poverty to receive workforce
training, skills development, and microenterprise assistance through helping
with business plans and offering competitive start-up grants. The Dream Project
also includes a group home and transportation. We are also a vendor for DVR
where we offer job coaching and workforce training for individuals with
disabilities;

4) Other – The Hidden
Treasures Second-had Boutique that provides workforce training and revenue to
fund clients with jobs. We are also anticipating starting up a small plot of
gardens on-site in order to provide some basic vegetables and herbs for our
clients and provide a means of garden therapy.

3. Who is your target
audience?

Our target audience
includes the following: homeless women with disabilities, homeless women with
disabilities and their children, adult men and women needing outpatient and
intensive outpatient services, women and their children who are victims of
sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and /or human
trafficking, individuals with disabilities, and women in poverty.

4. What are your hours
of operation and what is the best way for people to reach you that are
interested in assistance?

At our 556 E. Marine
Corps Dr. E. Hagatna location, we are open from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Monday –Friday. Interested people may reach us at 646-4601.

5. In addition to
direct services, what resources does Oasis offer?

We offer the resources of leveraging and
referring to partner organizations.

We also offer the
opportunity for interested individuals to attend our church – Zion Fellowship
on Sundays and to receive prayer on Saturday evenings.

6. Thinking about current events, how do you foresee recent events in your field
of work affecting your organization and its work?

We are largely affected the federal cuts and slashes in SNAP
benefits, as are most of our clients personally affected. We do not have much
in the way of funding for food for our various programs and are awaiting the
funding award of the Emergency Food & Shelter Program Grant. Although, we
are writing food category budgets into future grants, we are still trying to
come up with solutions to our current shortfalls.

7. Can you
discuss your community partnerships and how they contribute to the overall success of
Oasis individually.

All of our members contribute in various ways
pertaining to how our programs relate to their mission statement and how we can
work together in order to inspire success-filled living.

8. Can you touch on
the history of Oasis and how the organization is set up?

Incorporated as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization in
2002, Elim Pacific Ministries has become a credible and well-established
organization on the island of Guam [refer to Certificate of Good
Standing*]. In 2004, Elim Pacific Ministries founded The Oasis
Empowerment Center (Oasis), a nonprofit, faith-based organization, which
provides a much needed recovery center for homeless Pacific Islander women with
life-controlling and life-limiting problems - including drug addictions and
disabilities.

9. Any upcoming plans
or projects that our island community should be aware of?

We are launching our
Dream Project classes on February 11, 2014 that will assist women with no-to-low income
in receiving housing in a shared group home (if needed), workforce training, microenterprise
development, with the ability to compete for a seed grant award. Applications
are available at our main facility at 556 E. Marine Corps Dr. E. Hagatna or can
be requested via email.

10. Why do you think
the work you do is important to our island community and the world at large?

Our work impacts our
island in dramatic ways. Since we focus predominately on women (and those with
children) we see that there is a huge gap in programs for women and women with
disabilities and those who are homeless. There exist some short-term programs
on island, but we are unique in our holistic programs that are long-term in
nature and focus on life changes rather than promoting short-term entitlements.
As many of our women have children, and many are single moms, they (and our
programs for children) in turn have a huge effect on children. Since our
children are the future, we see that we have an intergenerational impact on our
island. Furthermore, our programs are tailored to assist women in job creation
and development so our programs also have an effect on increasing needed
employment on Guam. This in turn, has an effect on the world as Guam can be a
transient place where Guamanians go to Asia, Australia-Pacific, and the
mainland for other job opportunities, education, and various other reasons.

The mission of Erica’s House is to provide
a safe and fair venue; a center of hope, support, prevention and family
visitation services necessary to create positive change in the lives of all
families affected by violence and contribute to the advancement and awareness
of these issues in our island community.

2. What specific services does
Erica’s House provide?

Erica’s House is a support service for parents and children in need of
visitation and exchange services:

1. A safe place to pick-up and drop-off children for exchange between
parents/guardians;

2. On-site partially-supervised visitation for families with periodic
checks made by staff;

3. On-site supervised visitation for families with a visitation monitor
present at all times;

4. Parenting Classes offered once a week for six weeks; and

5. Informational Reports generated upon request.

There are no fees for the services provided.Erica’s House services can
be used by obtaining a Court Order or through Erica’s House Voluntary Referral
Program (VRP). Under the VRP, the
custodial and non-custodial parents must agree to use Erica’s House, must agree
to the type of service, agree to a schedule and agree to who will participate.

3. Who is your target audience?

Parents or Guardians who feel they
are in need of Erica’s House services for various reasons. Although Erica’s House serves victims of
abuse, not all families of Erica’s House have experienced abuse; for example,
some cases are referred by Child Support.

4. What are your hours of operation
and what is the best way for people to reach you that are interested in
assistance?

6. Can you discuss your
community partnerships and how they contribute to the overall success of
Erica’s House individually?

Erica’s House works with different non-profit organizations and government
and private agencies. Networking with
these agencies contributes to Erica’s House’s success by helping staff serve
clients more effectively.

7. Can you touch on the history of
Erica’s House and how the organization is set up?

Erica’s House is named after Erica
Mesericordia Crisostomo Aquino, a seven-year-old girl who at the hands of her
father, was killed along with her mother, Therese Crisostomo. Therese at the
time was a social worker with Adult Protective Services. It took three years of planning before
Erica’s House opened and with the Crisostomo family’s support and a contract
with the Judiciary, Erica’s House opened on November 15, 2000.

Erica’s House is a joint project of the
Soroptomist International of the Marianas and the Soroptomist International of
Guam.

8. Why do you think the work you do
is important to our island community and the world at large?

Erica’s House is Guam’s only family visitation center when exchanges or on-site visitations are conducted
at the facility, these prevent any conflicts or violence between parents. These
supervised visitations give parents and children a sense of safety at all times
the facility is open as there is always staff, a security guard and a Deputy
Marshal present.

9. Lastly, could you please provide
any current relevant statistics that you have.

In the month of December 2013, Erica’s
House served 570 adults, among these adults Erica’s House served 520 children,
conducted 204 exchanges, and held 19 partially supervised visitations and 18
direct supervised visitations.

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About Guam Coalition

GCASAFV is a non-profit organization comprised of member agencies representing public and private service providers, community individuals and other community partners and government allies. GCASAFV focuses on addressing sexual assault (SA) and family violence (FV) on Guam at a community level with one united voice.

The GCASAFV carries out its mission by providing education, outreach and training. We assist in building the capacity of community organizations and networks to meet the needs of survivors of FV and SA.Read More